News & Op-Ed Commentary from The People's Republic of Moscow (Idaho)

Developer sells property between Moscow, Pullman

You may remember the reason that the Hawkins Co. bought that property to put in a mall.

During the Nancy Chaney / Aaron Ament reign of terror, the Moscow Walmart was shut down and all the employees went to work at the Pullman Walmart. Walmart wanted a larger presence in Moscow, so they were looking at the property adjacent on the state line in Washington.

There was a conservative backlash and a purge of the über-liberals occurred. The GMA was able to get balanced people into office, and the Moscow Walmart was allowed to expand in its current location.

All that said, the purchase of that land by Hawkins Co. was a good strategic move. And if the liberal reign of terror had continued, Hawkins could have made a ton of money.

Fortunately, common sense reigned in Moscow.

PULLMAN — A company that once proposed building a 714,000-square-foot shopping mall along the Washington-Idaho border — financed in part with taxpayer dollars — apparently has pulled up stakes.

The property is located on the north side of the Pullman-Moscow highway; although it’s adjacent to the Moscow city limits, it’s on the Washington side of the border.

Records from the Whitman County Auditor’s Office and Treasurer’s Office indicate the land was sold Aug. 23 for $900,000. A separate deed transferring the water right on the property was filed at the same time.

The mall was a source of controversy almost from the beginning. Supporters saw it as a source of good jobs, local tax revenues and economic growth; detractors worried it would have a negative impact on local businesses, as well as on taxpayers.